School Daze
by Rosethorn2
Summary: We have an ending! What would happen when all 10 digidestined find themselves in high school together? And what's this? Kou&Dai fluff? With an epilogue? Stay tuned! SemiAU
1. Wait…the First Day of School is Today!

**Disclaimer:** I do not now, nor have I ever owned Digimon! I haven't even _thought_ about Digimon until I was re-introduced to the thing.

**Warnings:** Shounen ai. Mild swearing (c'mon, guys…we're talking _teenage boys_ in _high school_…or middle school in Iori's case…)

**Pairings:** Taichi/Yamato, Koushirou/Daisuke (yes, you did read that right), anyone else I decide to pull in *wink* Yes, I use the Japanese names. Here's some stuff you should know if you're only familiar with the dub and also the ages I'm using for this fic:

Taichi=Tai 18

Yamato=Matt 18

Jyou=Joe 20

Kousirou=Izzy 17

Mimi (same name) 18

Sora (same name) 18

T.K.=Takeru 15

Hikari=Kari 15

Daisuke=Davis 15

Iori=Cody 13

Miyako=Yolei 15

Ken (same name) 15

**Other notes:** I can't believe this! I'm writing a _Digimon_ fanfic! Nothing against Digimon, it's just…it's right there with Sailor Moon and Pokemon where I live…especially considering what all I've already written *sweatdrops* Um…now that I've gotten all Digimon fans mad at me…I don't mind it! Really! I don't! Anyways, this fic is not beta-read…no one likes to volunteer…*hint hint* and be warned that I get chronic writer's block, meaning that I will write for months and then not write for months. It comes and goes. Now:

  
ONTO THE FIC!

School Daze

By Rosethorn

Chapter 1: Wait…the First Day of School is _Today_?!

            "_Tai_!!" A sleepy head pokes its way out from under the covers. Glancing at his clock, Tai groans and rolls over to go back to sleep.

            "_Kamiya Taichi, get up this minute!! You're going to be late for your first day!_" bellows his mother again, before banging on the door. Glancing balefully at the door, then his clock, Tai gets up and stumbles over to his closet to get dressed.

            'Wait…did she say school starts _today_?!' He hurriedly scrambles to finish getting dressed, and dashes out to the kitchen, picks up his lunch, and heads for the door, noticing that Hikari had already left.

            "Bye, Mom!" he yells over his shoulder as he exits. Quickly, he runs down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. Ahead of him, he spots a familiar patch of red hair.

            "Koushirou! Oi, Koushirou!" Koushirou stops and turns around, waiting for Tai to catch up.

            "Good morning, Tai." Tai grins.

            "So, you gonna sit with us at lunch, or are you going to be plugging away in the lab on the first day?" Koushirou smiles.

            "I should be able to join you and the others for lunch. If someone requires my assistance, I am sure they will come and find me."

            "Cool!" Tai says as he spots another familiar head of hair 20 feet in front of him.

            "Yamato! Hey, Matt!" Matt stiffens and turns around.

            "Any particular reason why you're yelling my name at the top of your lungs?" he asks as Tai and Koushirou catch up. Tai grins again.

            "Simple! One, I was trying to get you to wait up. Two, that wasn't at the top of my lungs, but I'd be happy to demonstrate full power if you'd like." He opens his mouth to prove his point when Matt hurriedly covers it with his hand.

            "I _don't_ need a demonstration, moron!" Matt then turns to glare at Koushirou, who is chuckling softly.

            "Yeah, laugh. Argh, you guys are a pain sometimes!" Tai raises an eyebrow.

            "Only sometimes? Damn, we're losing out touch, Izzy." Matt throws up his hands in exasperation as Koushirou glares at Tai.

            "I told you not to call me 'Izzy'." Tai laughs and the three proceed their walk to school with light-hearted banter.

            As they reach the front steps, they hear some shouts of: 

"Tai-sempai!" followed by another yell of "Ohaiyou gozaimasu, onii-san, Tai-san, Koushirou-san." Matt looks over to his younger brother confused.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. Takeru stares at him.

"We go here now…" Miyako replies, looking a little irked. Tai nudges Matt in the ribs.

"Remember when I said that Hikari would be hanging with us more?" Matt nods, comprehension slowly dawning on his face, as well as chagrin for forgetting that his own brother would be going to school with him. Deciding to spare Matt further embarrassment, Kousirou steps in.

"So, Tai, who's the other 'goggled-wonder' over there?" Tai turns to see what has often been referred to as "a carbon copy of himself (meaning Tai)".

"Oh. This is Motomiya Daisuke. Daisuke, I think you've met Matt already, so we'll move on to my other good friend Izumi Koushirou." Daisuke puts out his hand, grinning.

"Just call me 'Daisuke'," he says.

"Koushirou," Koushirou replies, shaking Daisuke's hand. "Izumi-san makes me feel even older." Before further pleasantries could be exchanged however, the warning bell rang, causing all the students to find their ways to their new classes. The friends parted ways, scurrying down the hallways to their homerooms.

On the way to his homeroom, Koushirou notices that Daisuke is still behind him.

"Daisuke, the first-year hall is that way," he says, pointing the in the opposite direction. Daisuke jumps a little, smiling slightly.

"I was jumped up to second year," he says quietly. Kousirou raises an eyebrow before smiling.

"Congratulations. It will be nice to know someone in my own grade. What homeroom do you have?" Daisuke checks his schedule quickly.

"2-B, you?" Daisuke's eyes flicker to Koushirou's surprised face, and he laughs.

"I guess that means I have a partner for all my classes now, ne?" Koushirou asks, finding the situation humorous himself. They both start exchanging jokes on the way to class, while in the third-year hall, Tai and Matt are trying to beat off Matt's fan club.

"Why did you have to become a famous rock star?" Tai complains as they run for their homeroom, which they shared…again.

"I love music, what's wrong with that?!" Matt snaps back. Tai shakes his head.

"Well, I think you can take the title of 'most popular guy in school' with ease now. Maybe even 'most popular _kid_ in school _period_'," he says as they find their classroom and duck inside. Once inside, Matt shoots Tai a dirty look, then sighs and walks over to his desk and flops down. Tai does the same. Soon the bell rings and class begins.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now. I hope that everyone likes it! Let me know what y'all think (ie: review the sucker!). Although, if I don't get reviews I'll keep writing either way, but I'll be _really_ discouraged if no one reviews. Anyways, until next time!

~Rosethorn~


	2. Third Period Blues

**Notes:** Ok. First off, see first part for disclaimer. Secondly, I noticed that there might be a few questions as to how the school structure is set up. I used the Japanese school structure, and while some of the classes may be based off of what I have had in school (in America), the structure itself in Japanese. For those who have no idea what the difference is (I used to be right there with ya!), here's a brief run-down:

            Japanese schools are divided into 1-6 shuugaku (elementary), 1-3 chuugaku (middle school), and 1-3 koukou (high school). I don't really know about college, *sweatdrops* Now, ON WITH THE FIC!

School Daze

Third Period Blues

            'Ah, hell,' I think to myself as I see Tai's head falling lower. Here we are, third class of the day—the _first_ day I might add—and Tai's already falling asleep! Sitting next to him had a few advantages however, and I decide to exercise one of them.

            'Admit it, you just want t chance to touch him!' Damn inner voice.

            'Little busy right now. I'll argue with you later.' Shoving the annoying voice aside, I reach out and nudge Tai. He jumps slightly and blinks. I try not to laugh at the look on his face. I must not have been successful, because Ido-sensei turns towards our direction.

            'Shit.' A quick glance at Tai reveals his thoughts mirror mine.

            "I do realize that this is the first day of this school year, Ishida-san, Yagami-san. However, I would appreciate it if you could both be quiet," a Look in my direction. I resent that! "and pay attention." A Look in Tai's direction this time.

            "Hai, sensei," we both reply in unison. He nods and resumes his lecture on…something. I honestly have no idea.

            'Yeah. That's 'cause you were spending all your time ogling Tai.' Damn. "It" was back.

            'I was _not_ "ogling" Tai! _He's_ my _best friend_! Why would I ogle him?'

            'Because you think he's downright, well, hot!" I glare at "It".

            'Tai? Hot?! No, I think not.' "It" sighs.

            'Let's go over the evidence one more time, okay? One, you're always watching him—'           

            'He plays soccer! I need to be sure he doesn't kick a ball into my head!'

            'During class?' It asks dryly. Um…aha!

            'He's always falling asleep during class. _Someone's_ got to try to keep him awake!'

            'During lunch?' Easy one.

            'I _want_ to eat my lunch, thank you. If I _don't_ watch him, it'll be gone in two seconds!'

            'You rarely eat lunch.' Damn. 'Anyways, two, you're always happier when around him.'

            '…' I can practically hear It jump up and down with glee. Wait… 'I'm never happy though.' Ha! Take that!

            'Is that why you're always grinning around him?' Damn "It"! It ignores me and begins again. 'Three, you feel incomplete without him.' It had me there.

            'Point three conceded. However, one point in your favor will _not_ convince me! Better luck next time!' With that said…erm…thought, I jump ten feet when Tai taps me on the shoulder. I glare at him.

            "You have a death wish, don't you?" I hiss. He grins.

            "The bell ran, Matt. Lunch time." Grumbling about stupid, goggled soccer players, I gather my stuff and follow him to the cafeteria.

            'This is going to be a _long_ rest of the day. I can just feel it.'

~~ooO@Ooo~~

            "Maaaaaaan!" I hear a voice next to me groan. "Homework the first day?" I try not to chuckle at my new friend's displeasure. But my good intentions desert me when I see the pitiful expression on his face. He turns his head and mock-glares at me. "Sure. Laugh."

            "You have to admit, it _is_ rather amusing," I reply. He rolls his eyes.

            "So, Koushirou," he begins. "What grade did you skip?" That question caught me by surprise.

            "Third year of middle school. A year ahead of you, I believe, Daisuke." He nods.

            "Yeah." I try to keep conversation going, although the reason as to why eludes me.

            "You do realize you're taking third-year difficulty classes." He stares at me in surprise. "I see I assumed incorrectly." I pause before continuing. "That's why we have homework the first day. We're expected to be used to it, which I can see you're not." Dai shakes his head in amazement—

            'Wait! "Dai"?! Since when had he ever been "Dai" to me? I just _met_ the kid!' I am unable to reflect further, since we are nearing the cafeteria. Dai_suke_ runs ahead of me and opens the door. I pass through, then hear another voice.

            "Thanks, Dai. Hey, Koushirou!" Yagami Hikari, Tai's younger sister. She's a really sweet kid, but for some unexplainable reason, I find myself resentful of her when Daisuke smiles at her.

            "Hikari. How is your first day going?"

            "Good so far. Yours?" I smile slightly.

            "The same."

            "That's good." She turns to Daisuke, who finally has caught up. "What about you, Dai? How's special ed going?"

            'Special ed? He's in my classes.' I open my mouth to state as much when Daisuke hurriedly heads me off.

            "Oh, you know. Easy stuff for you guys, hell for me. 'S'all good." I frown. Why was he hiding his intelligence from everyone? Something didn't add up. I decide to think about it later as we join the others at "our" table.

            "Hey, Koushirou! You _did_ make it!" Tai greets. Matt shakes his head in exasperation at Tai's greeting.

            'Hm…Lunch looks like it won't be dull this year,' I think to myself cheerfully.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now!

Thank-you's: Before I get started with the reviewers, I want to extend a BIG thank-you to Lena, who is always willing to suffer through—I mean _read_ my fanfics. Thanks, Lena!!

Redrum: Thanks for reading this!! You bet I plan on continuing! *sweatdrops* In fact, I've been working overtime on this fic…The ideas just keep on flowing! Also, in reference to the Japanese names, I can see what you're getting at, but the story takes place in Japan (see explanation above), so I'll be continuing using the Japanese names. Thanks for pointing that out though!

nEo-cHaN: Thanks!! I'm glad you like it! I'll do my best to update again soon, okay?

Muy-Kech Chea: Thanks for reading and reviewing!! Sorry about the shortness of the chapters. I'm trying to lengthen them…I'm just not very successful…*sigh*

Sillie: Thanks for reviewing!! Yeah, Matt seems to have followers everywhere…including his own best friend *hint hint*

Celpa: Thanks for reading!! Hope I helped straighten some stuff out! I'll update A.S.A.P. so you can get confused more *wink*

Promise: Thanks!! I will! Promise!!


	3. Lunchroom Antics

**Note:** Ok. I have two things to say:

1. Thank you all for keeping my spirits up while writing this!

2. Writer's block is starting to kick in (dammit!), with the next chapter. It's mostly written, I'm just having problems with it…

            Thanks again everyone. That's all my announcements for this chapter!

School Daze

Chapter 3: Lunchroom Antics

            Tai watches as Hikari, Koushirou, and Daisuke walk over to their table and set their bags down.

            "Hey, Koushirou! You _did_ make it!" he greets.  "Hey, 'Kari, Daisuke." He spies Matt, who had gotten up, returning from the vending machines.

            'Hm…looks like brownies are the dessert of the day…' he thinks to himself. He loved brownies, but before he could open his mouth to request them, Matt looks at him with another exasperated look and says:

            "These are _mine_, Tai." Tai frowns, then decides to try the "pity me, I have no lunch" method (conveniently not having gotten out his own lunch yet). Again, Matt beat him to it.

            "Check your bag. I know your lunch is in there." Hikari starts to giggle. Daisuke's eyes widen slightly, and he stifles laughter. He glances at Koushirou, noticing the redhead isn't even phased. Tai, glaring first at his sister, then Matt, mumbles under his breath:

            "Didn't wan that brownie anyways." He begins to pout, causing Matt to have to re-hydrate his mouth. Hikari is laughing outright now, but she jumps five feet when two hands clamp down on her shoulders.

            "Hey, gorgeous," Takeru says, moving from behind his girlfriend.

            "T.K.! Keep that up and you'll be single and in jail for scaring your girlfriend to death!" While T.K. is fending off Hikari, Koushirou notices Daisuke frowning slightly.

            "Everything okay there?" he asks. Daisuke jumps slightly before giving his trademark grin.

            "Yeah. Everything's goin' good, Kou."

            'Kou?' Koushirou mentally asks, raising an eyebrow. Daisuke either didn't notice his use of the pet name however, or didn't care.

            "Tai!!" Koushirou's attention is diverted from Daisuke to Yamato and Tai. Tai had apparently made another try for Matt's lunch, having just finished his own, and having been thwarted earlier in his attempts at the brownies.

            'And he was thwarted again,' Koushirou thinks with a sigh. 'He should know by now.'

            "Awww, Maaaaatt!! I'm hungry and your lunch looks _so_ _good_—" Matt glares at Tai.

            "Can it." Tai's eyes widen slightly.

            'Uh oh. He's really pissed,' Tai gulps.

            "Eh heh, sorry, Matt." Matt continues glaring for a few more minutes before opting to resume eating.

            "Hey, Koushirou?" Koushirou turns towards Takeru.

            "Yes?"

            "Could you help me with some homework I was assigned last period?" Koushirou nods and motions T.K. to sit down next to him, both missing the dark look Daisuke sends in T.K.'s direction. Tai notices, however, and files the incident away to try to figure out later. Right now, he needed to get Matt _not_ mad at him.

            "Hey, Matt?"

            "What now?" Tai starts to get annoyed, but he exercised some restraint and continued.

            "I was wondering if you've seen—"

            "We went to a movie last week, Tai. I'm sure I've seen it," Matt replies curtly, cutting Tai off.

            "Pardon me for trying to be friendly! What died in your breakfast this morning?" Tai snaps back. Koushirou, who had just finished helping Takeru, looks over to Hikari for help. She rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to say something to distract the two when Daisuke asks:

            "Hey, Tai? When are soccer try-outs?" Giving one last dark look in Matt's direction, Tai switches his attention to Dai.

            "Um…not sure myself—" Matt's snort interrupts him. Tai glares once again at Yamato. "Something wrong, Ishida?" Matt inwardly winces. Tai only used his last name when he was mad, and only his first name when he was hurt or furious, which wasn't the case at this moment.

            'Thank God.'

            "Nah, just amazed at how oblivious you can be at times. Our last period teacher announced it, but then, you never pay attention…" Matt says, deciding to tease Tai a bit, to break the ice. More dark looks towards him.

            'Looks like the wrong move,' Matt thinks to himself.

            "If there were anything of _interest_ to pay attention to, unlike that Shakespeare garbage _you_ seem so fond of!" Matt bristles. "I honestly don't know _what_ you—"

            "Tai, there's not going to be a soccer scene in every book you read. Assuming you _do_ read. I swear, that's all you ever think about! That and eating! For—"

            "So you think I'm just some dumb jock, Yamoto?!" Tai exclaims, trying to hide the hurt in his voice, and failing miserably. Matt looks at the ground. "That's it, isn't it? You think that I'm only capable of shooting a soccer ball! I don't believe this! God, Yamato! I thought you knew me better than that!" Tai's voice breaks slightly, and he gets up and walks quickly out of the cafeteria. Matt sighs, realizing that he just screwed up. Big time.

            "Well," He looks up to see Hikari glaring at him. "you certainly managed to hurt him. Happy?" Matt winces. The warning bell for the next period rings and Matt heads to class, wondering how long Tai would stay mad at him.

            'We'll get a feel for the damage next period, won't we?'

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now!! Yes, I know that's a _horrible_ spot to leave off, but it'll get better (I hope)…Now, on with the next important part!!

Thank-you's:

Hannio: Thanks for reviewing!! The thing about Dai-chan *ignores Koushirou's glare*, will be revealed later on though…*wink* I have a few things to get to first.

Redrum: Thanks again!! Sorry about the confusion thing. It took me about a month to get used to it *sweatdrops* I'm sure you adjusted (are adjusting?), much better than I did! Glad you like "it"!!

Leena-and-Earlie: Thanks!! Glad you like it! Hai! Will do!

Unknown Anonymous Reviewer: Thanks, whoever you are!! I imagine the expressions with be ranged from shock to pole axed. *evil grin*

Carscard: Thanks!! Hounto ni?! Sugoi!! (Translation: Really?! Wow!!) I'm a huge romantic *sweatdrops*, so my fics will normally reflect that. *grins* You sound like a friend of mine. He's always after me to smile. *laughs*

devilburns: Thanks for reviewing!! Glad you enjoyed it! I will write more! I have some more written!! Who knows, maybe I'll post it tomorrow! *prays that school slacks off enough to let her update*

Sillie: Thanks again!! *shares evil grin* I like "it" too. All my stories have some sort of battle with "it", and so far…only one's won. (Needless to say, "it" was _not_ amused…) I will continue!!

nEo-cHaN: Thanks again!! Yep, Matt arguing with himself is funny, especially when he's wrong! *wink*

Promise: Thanks again!! Glad you're enjoying it!

Neko-Chan: Domo arigatou!! I wouldn't call this chapter "famous", but I think it's pretty entertaining…

VtE: Thanks for reviewing!! *gets her fishing gear* Ok…now I just have ta' reel 'em in, ne? (Just kidding.) Seriously though, I'll do my best to update at least twice per month.

Dai: Thanks!! I read a fanfic once that had a smart Dai (although the author/authoress hasn't finished it yet *wails*), and I decided to see if I could write one (with a _different_ storyline _and_ pairing), and that was part of the inspiration for this fic. But I'm also a die-hard Taito fan, so I just _had_ to include them…a lot…*sweatdrops* Don't worry, there'll be chapters devoted solely to Dai/Kou soon!!

Once again, that you guys, one and all for reviewing! It makes my writing a lot easier!! *glomps reviewers* Thanks!!


	4. Reflections of Goggle Boys

**Notes: **Sorry for taking so long, y'all! *starts crying* School has been a really pain in the *insert swear word here*…It royally sucks. Anyways, someone volunteered to beta this hog! YAY!!! However, I sent him/her (don't know the gender *sweatdrops*), an email and I haven't gotten a response yet…probably stupid hotmail messing up again *grrrr* Hm…I think that's it…Oh! This chapter is dedicated (once again), to Lena!! Who reads this thing before I ever post it, and threatens—erm—_encourages_ me to continue it…*wink* Now…ON WITH THE FIC!!

School Daze

Chapter 4: Reflections of Goggle-boys

            A dumb jock. I'm not surprised…well I guess I am because it's Matt. Everyone else, with a few exceptions, has that opinion of me. Until now, I thought Yama was one of those few who _didn't_ think that. It really hurts to see that Yama thinks I'm just a dumb jock. But even though he's hurt me…I still love him…like always, no matter how many times I've been hurt by him.

            'That's me, Kamiya Taichi, the masochist.' Depressing, aren't I? Well I just got my heart trampled…again. Doesn't make for a pleasant mood.

            'That seems to happen a lot lately…Maaaaan, being in love with your best friend sucks. Especially when _he's_ your _male_ best friend, who's gone out with your _female_ best friend…I don't know how Daisuke dealt with his crush on Hikari…then Ken…because it's killing me.' I chuckle a bit when I remember how hard Daisuke fought to get 'Kari's attention. A bell brings me back from "Memory Lane", and I glance at my watch to make sure I wasn't hearing things. Damn; I wasn't. Sighing, I trudge inside, joining with the mob of students getting to class. Reaching my next classroom, advanced algebra, I pick a seat and flop down. A few moments later, I hear someone sit in the desk behind me. Matt.

            'God, I am pathetic! I even know how he pulls his chair out from his desk!' I was broken out of my reverie however, by a soft voice.

            "Tai?" Great. Just what I need.

            'Stay mad, stay mad, stay mad,' I chant inside my head, but somehow I feel my anger slipping away. I hear Matt sigh.

            "Look, Tai…I…I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I don't even know why I _thought_ that! You're _not_ just a 'dumb jock'…and…dammit, Tai…_say_ something!"

            'What do you want me to say, Matt? I can't very well say "it's all right, dear, I still love you"!' I think to myself, but I am saved from replying when the teacher walks in. I feel Yama's eyes on the back of my head.

            "We'll talk after school, Tai." His tone of voice left no doubt in my mind that we _would_ talk after school.

            'Shit.'

            The class period flew by, the rest of the school day with it. Soon, too soon (amazingly enough), the final bell rang, signaling our freedom for the day. I ran out of my last class and made a mad dash towards the front of the school building. Getting outside, I turn and wait for Matt with apprehension. He soon appears and walks over to me.

            "Ready?" I almost find myself saying "depends on the circumstance", but somehow I don't think Yama would be appreciative of wise-ass comments right now. I decide to nod instead. As we walk along, a silence stretches between us, soon becoming unbearable. Matt breaks up the monotony by stepping in front of me and putting his hands on my shoulders. I had forgotten how strong he was. However, I wasn't allowed to enjoy the feeling of his hands on me, as his next sentences caused my brain to panic.

            "All right, Yagami. Talk."

~~ooO@Ooo~~

            'Bored bored bored bored…I am soooooo bored! I realize this is a challenging class, but it's _history_! It's dry, dull, tedious, monotonous—'

            "Motomiya Daisuke?"

            'Crud.'

            "Hai, sensei?"

            "Over the summer, I had assigned a paper for my students to do. Since you were skipped into this year from middle school, you are not expected to have done this assignment—"

            "My teacher last year informed me about it, sensei. I have it finished." Sensei looks a little upset that I interrupted him,  but he _does_ look pleased that I have the paper done.

            "Very well, Motomiya-san, class, the paper is due tomorrow, no exceptions." Great. I have a three-page paper to research and write tonight, _plus_ soccer practice!

            'Better that than having the rest of the class mad at me, like they would be if I became the exception.' The rest of the class is uneventful, and more than once I find myself staring at the clock, willing it to be over already.

            'Is it just me, or is that clock moving backwards?' I sigh and start doodling in my notebook. Five minutes later, I glance down to see Koushirou's head sitting there.

            'Well, damn.' Yeah, I knew I was attracted to Koushirou. 'What _is_ it with me and redheads? Not to mention brunettes.' Ken was the only exception, but then, Ken is _always_ the exception. 'Well, I hope he's happy with Miyako. Seems to be my fate in life never to get those I fall for, but at least they're happy. Kami-sama, I'm such a sap.' Glancing at the clock again, I am pleasantly surprised to see that not only did the hands move _forward_, but that it was almost time for class to be out.

            'Thank you, Lord!' I glance to my right to see Koushirou bent over his paper, making last-minute corrections.

            "Hey, Kou," I whisper. He starts slightly. "I'll edit your paper for you if you want." He gives me a strange look—the first of many I'll receive—and passes over his paper. I laugh inwardly at the look on his face.

            'Must be the nickname. Hey, you know, that's what you get for having a bi friend! Especially one who (although he doesn't know it yet), is attracted to you!' Looking over his paper, I see that he excels in writing as well as science…and everything else.

            'Although this sentence sounds odd,' I note and write down a comment. I quickly finish the rest and hand it back to him. He nods in thanks, then looks to see what I had written. Eyebrows rising a bit, he slowly puts the paper away as the bell rings, signaling the ends of school.

            "Were any of the suggestions helpful?" I ask as we make our way to the door.

            "Very," he replies, looking at me. "I wouldn't have caught two of them unless they were pointed out to me. Domo arigatou, Daisuke." He smiles; I melt.

            'Dai, call me Dai!' I only let a few people call me "Dai". Normally, only family, close friends, and of course crushes.

            'Well, Kou's already in the third category; I hope he can make it to the second.' I glance over again to him, this time however, he catches me. Looking for something to distract him, I find Tai and Matt a little ways ahead of us.

            "Hey, Kou, look! There's Matt and Tai! Hey, Tai, Matt! Wait up!!" I start running over to them. Koushirou, maintaining his walk, flows behind me.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now! Hey, it's a bit longer, ne? Hope you enjoyed this installment!! I'll update the next one A.S.A.P…Oh, and expect some interesting stuff next chapter…*evil grin*

Thank you's:

Hannio: Thanks again!! Yama the bad guy?! *faints* Why would anyone _do_ that?! Needless to say, I'm die-hard Taito fan!! I'll do my best not to keep you in suspense with the Dai bit, but I'm having a bit of difficulty getting _to_ that bit…eh heh…anyways, see ya next chappie!

Promise: Thanks again! Signs of knowing Tai too well, ne? *wink*

matt4ever: Thanks!! Glad you like it! I'll do my best to update again soon, k?

Redrum: Thanks again! Matt doesn't think that…at least, I hope not…Well, he doesn't in this fic anyways…yeah. Don't I sound like I know what I'm doing *sweatdrops*

Neko-chan: Thanks again!! I'm glad you like it so far!

Anime-05: Thanks!!! *glomp* If you didn't get the email, then review and let me know, ok? 'Cause I _did_ send you one. You ROCK!!!!

Dark_Fox: Thanks!! I hope you still like it as the story unfolds!

Sillie: Thanks again! Don't huggle Tai too close, you'll get Yama jealous *wink* I will update soon!!

devilburns: Thanks again!! Here's more!!

Unknown Anonymous Reviewer: Thanks, whoever you are! (If this is the same person, thanks again!) Glad you're enjoying the fic!

Dai: Thanks again!! Sorry the chappies are so short. I _am_ working on it…I think this one's a bit longer…I hope so…


	5. Surprise?

**Notes:** Ok…sorry for the long pause. My spring break wasn't…(ie: I didn't _have_ a chance to take a break during it), so I didn't get a chance to upload this chappie. Hope y'all enjoy it!!

School Daze

Chapter 5: Surprise?

            "All right, Yagami. Talk." Tai begins to fidget beneath Matt's intense look.

            "About what?" Matt snorts in derision.

            "Don't bullshit with me, Tai. I know you better than that!" Tai fidgets more. Matt raises an eyebrow.

            "Demo…Yama, I don't—"

            "Yama?" Matt interrupts, surprised. Tai's face takes on a slightly pink hue.

            "A-ano…" Tai begins, before he hears the sounds of running footsteps and a familiar voice.

            "Hey, Tai, Matt! Wait up!" Tai turns around to see that Daisuke was indeed heading toward them. Matt mutters death threats to certain soccer players under his breath as they wait for Daisuke and Koushirou to catch up. Tai looks relieved.

            'There is a God!'

            "Don't think that this is over, Tai," Matt hisses before Daisuke get into hearing range. "We _will_ talk later. In fact, come over to my place." Tai, a little intimidated by Matt's tone of voice and look, nods nervously. He then spots Koushirou following Daisuke over to them.

            "Hey, Daisuke!" Tai calls back, raising one hand in greeting. Matt gives Daisuke and Koushirou and curt nod. Tai decides to diffuse the tension by teasing Daisuke a bit.

            "You and Kousirou? Now there's an unlikely combination!" Daisuke's cheek turn a faint pink, although no one but Tai notices. "How did you two meet up?" Koushirou is about to explain that they share classes when Daisuke beats him to it again.

            "At the door like anyone else, baka!" Tai mock-glares.

            "Oi, I—" Before Tai can continue, Matt cuts him off.

            "Resemble that remark? Yes, Tai, that you do," he finishes. Tai's eyes cloud over briefly.

            "Yeah, I guess I do," he murmurs before brightening again. "Anyways, we all headed the same direction?" Shooting Tai a concerned look, Koushirou nods.

            "I believe we are. Would you mind if Daisuke and I walked with you two?" Tai grins.

            "Sure, let's go!" They resume walking, talking about everything and nothing. They soon arrive at Matt's apartment complex. Giving Tai a Look that Daisuke and Koushirou miss, he turns and waves.

            "Well, been real. Ja ne!" Before he can go more than two steps, Tai stops him.

            "Oi, Y-Matt, would you mind if I came over? 'Kari and T.K. are probably making out on my couch so…yeah." Matt sighs in exasperation.

            'That's the best you can come up with, Tai?'

            "Sure, Tai. Whatever you want." Tai forces his mind _out_ of the gutter at that statement.

            "Thanks, Matt! Later, guys!" He waves to the remaining two, then turns and follows Matt over to Matt's apartment building.

            'What am I doing?' Tai berates himself. 'He already suspects _something's_ up!'

            "So, Tai…"

            "Y-yeah, Matt?" Matt turns toward Tai a little while they walk.

            "What was with the nickname back there?" Tai starts to stutter as they climb the stairs to Matt's apartment. They soon reach the door and Matt pulls out his keys.

            "W-what n-nickname, Matt?" Tai decides to say. Cursing as his keys drop, Matt glares at Tai before leaning down to retrieve them, giving Tai a very nice view. He might have even enjoyed that view, had Matt not chosen that moment to straighten up (keys in hand), unlock the door, and walk in, motioning angrily for Tai to follow him.

            "I already said not to bullshit with me, Tai!" Matt growls, slamming the door. Tai jumps at the force of Matt's anger on the door. He gulps.

            "Why are you saying I'm bullshitting you?" he asks, racking his brain for ideas to keep Matt from finding out his secret.

            'Yeah. I can just see it now,' Tai thinks to himself, the irony of the situation not escaping him. '"That nickname is because I love you, Yama." Yeah, that'd go over well. I wouldn't see Matt for a few days after that—that's how long it would take for the swelling to go down.'

            "Dammit, Tai! Are you even paying attention?!" Tai soon becomes fed up with Matt's theatrics.

            "What is your problem, Yama?! God!"

            "There you go again! Where the hell did 'Yama' come from?!" Matt demands.

            "Why do you care?!" Tai yells back, his face close to Matt's, his voice cracking.

            "Stop dodging the question and answer me, damn it!" Something inside Tai snaps.

            "Fine. You want to know why?" he asks in a deadly quiet voice. Before Matt can pull away, Tai grabs his shoulders and presses Matt's lips to his.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now! Taito goodness, ne? Ne? *dodges everything thrown at her for that ending* Ok! Ok! Sheesh! I'll get the next chappie out _as soon as I can_!! I have some huge tests coming up…so I'll do my best.

Now for the thank you's:

VtE: Thanks!! Thanks!! (for two reviews *wink*) Glad you like the fic!!

Neko-chan: Thanks again! Sorry…*sweatdrops* And this one was a cliffie too! *cries* I don't think the next one is though!!

Redrum: Thanks again!! Yeah, Matt's able to see some of his faults…in this fic at least…

madkornfan: Thanks! Here was the more Taito! And there'll be more next chappie!! (Although not as much as the Daishirou)

Sillie: Thanks again!! *distracts Matt with a Taichi plushy* Glad I'm keeping you guys entertained with this chappie!

Hannio: Thanks again! Of course I did!! *grin* And I honestly don't see _why_ people bastardize Matt…*shakes head* *gasps for air after being glomped* Um…thanks…*wink* Well, at least next chapter there will be a smidgen of Daishirou, ne?

Dai: Thanks again!! Glad you're enjoying it!! I'm hurrying! I'm hurrying!

Once again, thanks each and every one of you for reviewing!! *glomps everyone who's reviewed her fanfics* You guys ROCK!!!


	6. Conclusions Drawn

**Notes:** Holy *beeeeep*!!!!! I just saw how many reviews I've gotten…and I'm stunned. *glomps her reviewers* And because of that, I decided to do a special treat for ya'll: two chappies!!! I'll release the rest later this week…Also!! See the _next _chapter for review responses!! Now, **on with the fic!!!**

School Daze

Chapter 6: Conclusions Drawn

            "How big do you think the fight will be?" I hear Dai ask.

            'Dai_suke_!' Turning towards him, I raise an eyebrow.

            "Come again?" He smiles, and shakes his head.

            "The fight between Matt and Tai. You could tell that there was just a _little_ bit of tension there." His voice drips with sarcasm, and I shoot him a Look. He ignores me and continues, minus the sarcasm. "Therefore, how big do you think the fight will be?" I shake my head in amazement. One would think I would have drawn the same conclusions, but obviously I was not that observant.

            'Why does everyone else think he's so clueless? He sees things that the rest of us never do.' Realizing that I had not answered Daisuke's question, I briefly think back over the previous fights Matt and Tai had gone through.

            "Judging by past history, their fight will be fairly large." Daisuke raises an eyebrow, silently asking for some elaboration on the subject. "Well, it's obvious that the more tense they are, the more tension will be released in the fight, which leads to a rather large fight…and believe me, I've seen a few huge ones, particularly when Matt was about to go out with Sora. Tai did _not_ agree to that, and Matt resented the fact that Tai refused to give his approval. But that was more of a series of fights, which is more their style. They rarely have _big_ fights; just fair-sized ones fairly often." Daisuke let out a low whistle.

            "That big and that often, ne?" I wince, nodding. "And they're still friends?" He asks with irony. I nod, the ironic nature of their friendship not escaping me either.

            "The best of friends actually, and I've known Tai longer than Yamato has." Daisuke nods absently, appearing to be lost in thought. We continue a little longer in silence.

            "…long." I glance over to him.

            "Pardon?"

            "I wonder how long," Daisuke repeats with a lop-sided grin. "Honestly, Kou; if you can't keep up, take notes! There'll be a short quiz at the end of life." I glare at him.

            "I don't follow. How long what?" I carry on. Dai shakes his head slightly again, grin firmly in place, and becoming too much like a smirk for my liking.

            '_Argh_! _It's **Daisuke**_!! _Da-i-su-ke_!' I tell myself, after realizing that my brain had retained the habit of the nickname.

            "How long they've been in love with each other." My eyes widen.

            "N-nani?!" He laughs at my expression. I glare at him. "Very funny, Dai. Now, What were you really going to say?" As the sentence replays in my mind, I realize that I had called him Dai—out loud.

            'Oh hell.' I glance up to see him shake his head impatiently. I'm amazed he doesn't get headaches doing that.

            "Dude, I was being serious! I mean, Tai was fighting with Matt about going out with Sora, right? Well, that fits with what I remember from last year. I mean, I've known that Tai likes Matt for that long. He was _always_ talking about Matt. Then there was that whole Sora thing…Kami-sama, what a mess! He never smiled, at least…not that I could see, and on the soccer field, even if he was losing, he was _always_ smiling!" I just stare at him.

            "That's just Tai though. You haven't proven anything about Yamato yet," I point out. Inside, I reflect on my previous thoughts about Tai's reaction to Matt's dating. I had of course noticed, but I had mistakenly attributed that to jealousy of Matt dating Sora…not the other way around.

            'But if he really wasn't in love with Sora, wouldn't he have made a move on her?' Hindsight, as ever, is 20-20. I am rudely brought out of my reflection by two hands shaking me gently.

            "Kou! Oi, Kou-chan! You with me here? Kooooouuuuuu!"

            "Hai, hai, Daisuke. I'm awake. Stop shaking me please." He stops, but his hands still rest on my shoulders. Our eyes lock and I feel something pass between us…a sort of connection. I swallow nervously.

            "What is it, Daisuke?" I ask to try to break the uneasy silence. As if breaking out of a spell, he drops his hands and blushes.

            "N-nothing, Koushirou. Ano…here's my stop. See ya!" Before I can say anything further, he turns and runs into the nearest apartment complex, leaving me walking the rest of the way home alone with my thoughts.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

            "Stop dodging the question and answer me, damn it!" I yell at Tai. Tai whirls and faces me, an odd glint in his eyes that starts to drive out the storm in them.

            "Fine," he replies, his voice quiet. "You want to know why?" Quick as lightning, he grabs my shoulders and presses his lips to mine.

            'Oh…my…God…' My brain starts to run around in circles as I melt into the kiss. He deepens the kiss, and all rational thought _left_ in my brain deserts me. After a few more moments, we pull apart. I try to catch my breath.

            "That's why, Yama," Tai whispers, breathing ragged. "A-aishiteru, Ishida Yamato…zutto."

            'He just…he can't! Not after all that I've put him through! I'm not worthy of his love!'

            "T-Tai, don't—" He puts a finger over my lips, silencing whatever protest I was about to make.

            "I realize that you don't and won't feel the same way," he begins, eyes boring into mine.

            "Tai—" I try to interrupt. Tai shakes his head.

            "Always impatient," he says wistfully. "Let me finish, Yama." He smiles sadly. He then pauses, collecting his thoughts. "All that I ask is that you allow me to love you. You don't have to reciprocate the feeling, but I just…I…" His voice starts to crack. "I just want to be with you. Just allow me that." I stay still. He moves his hand from my lips and I find myself missing the warmth that it gave.

            "Tai…" I begin, unsure of how I want to say what it is I want to say.

            "You don't have to say anything at all, Yama. Not until you know what you want to say," he tells me gently. I firm my resolve.

            'Yeah!! You go Matt!!' "It" cheers.

            "Tai…I think it's best that you go."

            'Tell him that…you…what the hell are you _doing_?!' "It" freezes as Tai pulls back from me as if burned. He tries to gain eye contact, but I steadfastly look at the floor. I hear him make a choked sobbing sound and my heart breaks further.

            "S-sayonara, Y-Y-Yama…" he manages to stutter out. My heart is practically shattered. I feel as though I feel everything Tai, my sweet Tai, is feeling. I bite my lip to keep from crying as he walks to the door. He opens it, but before he can leave, I find myself yelling for him to wait. He stops and turns slowly. His eyes meet mine and I see the anguish in his features. Something inside me breaks and to my horror, I begin sobbing.

            'I've hurt him again…I've hurt the only person that I've ever fallen in love with…' I feel arms around me, and look through tear-blurred eyes to see myself surrounded in his warm arms, hearing his voice soothing me, telling me that it would all be all right. I bury my face in his shoulder and let my dignity go and allow the floodgates to open. He holds me tighter, rocking me back and forth.

            A few minutes later, although it seems like hours, my sobbing subsides, but I don't loosen my grip on Tai's shoulders, nor his grip on me. Slowly I look up again, my red-rimmed gaze meeting his. In his eyes I can see pain, sorrow, worry, fear, and…love. His eyes are full of love, for me, the one who hurt him so many times. Slowly I close my eyes and shift so that our lips touch. The kiss deepens again, but when we pull apart to breathe I know exactly what to say.

            "I love you, Tai," I murmur against his lips. I feel his sharp intake of breath. "I am also sorry for being an ass all the time, and especially for putting you through that just now; I don't know what I was thinking, I—" He cuts me off by sealing his lips over mine once more.

            "I. Don't. Care. Yama," he states, punctuating each word with a kiss. He then gives me another searing kiss before pulling away. "I said I love you…forever."

            "Forever," I agree, as I snuggle against him. So maybe I was acting like a girly-guy, but I wanted to cuddle. He chuckles slightly, and I find myself lifted up in his arms. Quite a feat if you consider the fact that I'm taller than he is. Giving him a strange look, he smiles sheepishly.

            "I thought it would be more comfortable on the couch rather than the floor," he states with a wink, causing my cheeks to heat slightly.

            "Hai, it would be," I agree again as we settle on the couch. Minutes later, we both fall asleep.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for this chappie! And it's longer…well a bit! Remember, review responses _next_ chappie!!


	7. The Morning After

**Notes:** Ever seem to notice that a lot of my fics include "the morning after"? *sweatdrop* One of my eccentricities, I guess.

School Daze

Chapter 7: The Morning After

            "Oi, Koushirou!! Wait up!" Koushirou turns to see Daisuke running to catch up to him. He stops and soon the younger goggle-boy catches up, breathing hard. Koushirou raises an eyebrow.

            "Wake up late, or is this some new sort of soccer practice?" The soccer player shoots him a dirty look.

            "Shut up. Where were you anyways? Outer space? I tried to get your attention for the past five minutes now!" Koushirou blinks at the outburst.

            "I'm sorry for my lack of attentiveness, Daisuke," he says, turning to continue walking. They soon reach Matt's apartment complex, where Koushirou would normally meet up with Tai as well as Matt. From the looks of it, today would be no exception. However…

            "Hey, Kou…" Daisuke whispers, his face the picture of shock. "Is Tai's arm around Matt's waist, or did Jun spike my tea again?" Koushirou chokes back a startled laugh as he replies:

            "If she spiked yours, she got mine as well…" Daisuke laughs, then sobers instantly, an observation being made.

            "Not very subtle, are they?" Seeing Koushirou's strange look in his direction, he elaborates. "_I_ don't have a problem with it, but I can think of a school populace that might." He stops talking as they walk over to the two.

            "Hey, Koushirou, Dai!" Tai chirps cheerfully, Matt nodding in their general direction, looking a bit more uncomfortable that he was before. Koushirou mumbles a quiet "ohaiyo" to the both of them, and they begin walking again, although Tai removes his hand from Matt's waist.

            "Hey yourself, Tai!" Daisuke exclaims, walking backwards. "When did _this_ come about?" Tai and Matt's faces color as Matt glares at the cheerful brunette, who was grinning wickedly.

            "Yesterday," Tai replies, with a look that clearly stated "don't go there". Daisuke nods, letting his smile fade a bit.

            "You guys _do _know that you might want to be a little less obvious, right? I mean, not everyone's open to homosexuality."

            'Or bisexuality,' he adds silently, a look of pain flashing across his face that only Koushirou catches. Tai nods his head, something flashing through his eyes too quickly for Koushirou to make out.

            'That…that looked like _sympathy_! I don't understand…' They reach the school after about ten minutes and meet up with 'Kari, T.K., Miyako, Mimi, and Sora. Sora takes them all by surprise by running up to the new couple and saying "it's about time!" Only Daisuke seemed to view the relationship with any sort of apprehension.

            'Could Daisuke have a problem with the concept of homosexuals?' Koushirou wonders, dread filling his stomach. As they separated to go to their respective classes, Koushirou kept watch on Daisuke out of the corner of his eye.

            The question kept eating at him through the first three periods of the day, and by the time lunch rolls around, Koushirou decides to ask Tai about it. He walks with Daisuke over to the cafeteria, and while Dai is bothering Hikari and "T.E.", Koushirou corners Tai.

            "What's up, Izzy?" Tai asks, earning a dark look from the redhead.

            "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?" Koushirou asks exasperatedly. Tai beams brightly.

            "17…thousand…or so…"

            "Wouldn't you think that you'd get the hint by now?" Tai smile never fades.

            "Nope! Now, you wanted to ask me something?" Giving the soccer player one last glare, Koushirou switches topics to Daisuke.

            "A-ano…you've known Dai—Dai_suke_ a long time right?" Tai nods.

            "What does that have to do with anything?" Koushirou begins to fidget.

            "E…to…Is he…erm…homophobic?" To Koushirou's astonishment, Tai begins to laugh. So hard in fact, that he soon is trying to wipe tears out of his eyes. Koushirou colors slightly. "I fail to see the humor in the situation."

            "Sorry, Kou…" Tai says finally, laughter dying down enough so he could talk. "It's just hilarious to think that _Daisuke_ of all people is homophobic!"

            "W-well, he was telling you and Matt not to be so open and…" Koushirou trails off, leaving the rest of his reasoning behind his question unsaid. Tai nods, laughter gone entirely, but still smiles.

            "Understandable. He's just trying to protect us 'cause he's been there." At Koushirou's pole axed look, he sighs. "Okay, I'm assuming he was more careful about it around you. Daisuke is bi. He's pretty open about it most of the time too." Koushirou's brow furrows.

            "Is that one of the reasons he says he's in special ed?" His brow furrows further at Tai's surprised stare.

            "Are you saying he isn't? Koushirou, Daisuke may have his _rare_ intelligent moments, but he's not that smart. Really nice kid, but not that smart." Koushirou looks out over the cafeteria. Spotting Daisuke, he nods to Tai and thanks him.

            'What _is_ Dai-chan hiding?'

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari for now!! I'm so sorry for the long delay!! Hope a double installment helps a bit!

~Rosethorn~

Thank you's:

madkornfan: Thanks! There was Taito there *wink* Now we're going to work a bit more with the Daishirou…

matt4ever: Thanks again!! Um…you do realize you reviewed 7 times, right? But thanks for the support!!

Redrum: Thanks again! Yeah…I'm trying not to make Matt all super-submissive and warm and fuzzy, because he doesn't act that way in the anime…am I going to far in the polar opposite? Hope the reaction was worth the wait!

nEo-cHaN: Thanks again!! Too lazy to sign in _again_? *wink* As you can see/read/whatever, he did a bit of both…

Sillie: Thanks again! I hope I can start hurrying with the rest of the fic 'cause I've got it written…all of it…I just need to _type_ it. Problem is, my pc isn't working and…yeah…Will update ASAP though!!

Neko-Chan: Thanks again!! Hope this wasn't too much of a cliffie. Yeah, I can definitely relate to ppl never updating stories…especially when you've _just_ discovered the story is there…*sigh* And now I'm turning into one of those people…*cries*

Daisuke: Thanks! Daishirou coming soon! I promise!!! I really do!!!

Hannio: Thanks again!! I'm glad that it's a fun read. I'm trying for developing two relationships without neglecting either one…so far so good…I think…I hope…*sweatdrops* Anyways, kawaii Taito is definitely on the high list of good things.

Shinigami: Thanks again! Hope this was a good double-feature!

Anime-05: Thanks again!! *glomp* I don't have a beta…but you know what sucks? My email won't let me send stuff to you! I've tried and tried and then tried some more…and it didn't like the address…*sigh* But one way or another I _will_ get you to beta this *evil grin* Seriously though…I'll find a way to get through! *curses MSN, her computer, and evil technical stuff in general*

VtE: Thanks again! Glad you like it so far!! Hope that this is somewhat soon…and now that I'm out of school for a bit, I can update more, ne?

CCPheonix: Thanks!! *cracks up over the dialogue* Anyways, I will try my best to update soon!

Thanks soooooooooooooooooo much, you guys! You guys are the fire that keeps this writer writing!!! *glomps all her reviewers*


	8. Lunchroom Antics, Round II

**Notes:** I'm sooooo sorry about not updating this sooner…I've had it sitting on my machine for_ever_ and I did update on my website…I just neglected to update it here…*huge sweatdrops* I'll try to get the next chappie up tomorrow…Oh! This chappie beta-d by Anime05! *glomps Anime05* Thank you much!!!

School Daze

Chapter 8: Lunchroom Antics, Round II

            As Koushirou walks away, I turn and search for Yama, who, as it turns out, is sitting next to Dai and 'Kari. Dai says something, and Yama blushes while 'Kari reaches over to smack Dai alongside the head. Everyone else laughs. I begin to walk over, wondering what Dai had said to make my Yama blush…

            'And I can actually _call_ him "mine" now.' I am filled with a warm feeling of knowing that we were together…although it took long enough! I've never been a patient person, and I think I used up all my patience for the rest of my life waiting for Yama to realize that he loves me. Ah well…life happens, ne?

            Suddenly an idea crops up in my head. A rather—evil—idea, but a funny one. Yama _hates_ being snuck up on. Something about T.K., a bicycle, and the bathroom. I never heard much of the details. All I know is that, because of the whole thing, Yama hates being snuck up on. Consequently, doing is so is a difficult task in and of itself. Somehow I was managing…must be those soccer skills.

            'Just a little…bit more…damn!' Matt turns around.

            "Hey, Tai," he says, raising an eyebrow. I guess I look a bit odd with my two arms outstretched…

            "Hey, Yama," I reply, putting those arms to use, encircling them around his waist and then bend over to kiss his check. He colors.

            "I hope you know what you're doing…" I hear Dai murmur, taking a drink from his bottle of water. I take one of my hands and ruffle his hair affectionately. He chokes on his water in surprise.

            "I do," I reply as he recovers from coughing to squawk indignantly at me. Matt laughs softly at the exchange as 'Kari pats Dai on the back in commiseration.

            "It's okay, Dai, he does that to me too," she states, giving me a Look. I grin innocently, with my "who, me?" expression, which causes Matt and 'Kari to roll their eyes, and Dai to snort. I give them disgusted looks, as I scan the crowd to see where Koushirou is. A patch of red catches my eye.

            "Ne, Kou! Over here!" Apparently, Dai saw it as well. Koushirou gets this "deer in the headlights" look on his face, then spots us over in the corner. He makes his way towards us.

            "Kou?" I ask as he sits down. He glares at me, silently asking me to shut up. I raise an eyebrow. It's really weird, Dai calling Koushirou "Kou". Koushirou only let's people call him "Koushirou" (-san, kun, whatever suffix), and "Izumi-san/kun/whatever". No pet names whatsoever. None. This applies to friends as well as acquaintances. Dai seems to be the only one who _isn't_ aware of this rule however, because he keeps talking while most of the conversation stops at our table. Well…more accurately, all the 3rd-years stop talking, but the silence is more than compensated for by Dai and Miyako's argument, which I choose, for obvious reasons, to stay out of.

            "—Right, Tai?" Dai asks me out of no where.

            "Eh?" Dai laughs.

            "Oi, pay attention. I was asking if the 3rd-years have to do a huge project for history for a final exam.[1]" I just stare at him with a vacant look on my face, trying to understand _why_ this was important. Seeing my lack of response, Yama leans over and nudges my side with his elbow—hard.

            "Itai! Oi, that hurt!" Yama grins at me.

            "Gomen."

            "Yeah, sure," I mutter under my breath. Realizing I _still_ hadn't answered Dai, I try to remember if our teacher mentioned one at all. "Ano…Yeah…I think so, why?" Dai grins and thanks me, not answering my question. He proceeds to pester Miyako with the dreaded phrase "I told you so!".

            "Shut up, Dai! You were just lucky on that one! It's not like you ever pay attention in class or anything!" Miyako yells, trying to get Dai to back off. Dai gives a lop-sided grin.

            "You're not in my classes so you don't know that. Besides, I have my wonderful logic to use!" Miyako snorts.

            "Ha! You don't _have_ logic to follow through _with_!" I wince. She might have been justified for yelling at him, but she was a little vicious about it. I put a hand on Dai's shoulder. He looks up at me, startled, but doesn't lose the grin, although it _did_ seem a bit more strained. I then see Koushirou's dark look that had shifted from trying to incinerate Miyako to trying to incinerate _me_. My eyebrows rise.

            'What's gotten into him?' Dai seems to know or at least sense that someone was glaring at us because he shrugs my hand off his shoulder.

            "Don't base opinions on false knowledge, Miyako," Koushirou says, quietly, but with intensity, although the mood was a bit dampened by him picking up his sandwich. Miyako gives him a confused look, while Dai shoots Koushirou an unreadable one.

            'Hm…got a couple more pieces, but I'm still missing a few to this puzzle…'

~~ooO@Ooo~~

            "What _possessed_ you to say that?!" I yell at Koushirou on the way to our next class.

            "I assure you I have no idea of what you are talking about," Kou replies, staring straight ahead.

            'Uh huh…sure…right…' I think sardonically. I give him a Look, and he raises an eloquent eyebrow.

            "Are you implying that I do know, Dai?"

            "I'm not _implying_, I'm flat out **_stating_ **that you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about, Kou-chan!" He keeps walking, obviously not noticing the nickname I keep using for him…and not the one he keeps using for me.

            'And let it stay that way,' I pray silently.

            "Dai? Dai! That was the warning bell. Come on!!" I find myself being pulled along my a "skinny computer geek" to out next class. Let me tell you, those clothes are deceiving! He's a hell of a lot stronger than he looks! We arrive with seconds to spare. The day seems to take on the same fast pace, and I soon find myself walking home with Matt, Tai, and Kou. Mimi, Sora, Iori, 'Kari, and T.F.[2] tag along as well. We walk a brief distance before Matt and Tai begin to fight over something really trivial.

            "Awww," I begin, wanting to get a dig in. "Are the two lovers going to—ahem—"kiss and make up" after this spat?" Did I mention I love teasing the hell out of Tai? No? Well, I do. 'Specially when I can get him _and_ Matt to blush. Two for the price of one! It's great!

            "Tai," I hear Matt say, and I brace myself to run. "You don't need to win the soccer finals that bad." He then proceeds to chase after me. I run around yelling for help, while the other three laugh…well, the other two anyways, because the next thing I know, Matt has stopped chasing me, and Koushirou is standing right in front of me. I wish I could have seen Kou's face, because everyone else's reaction to him ranges from shock to confusion, not to mention that Matt had stopped in his tracks.

            "My hero," I mock-swoon at Koushirou and throw my arms around his waist…and I feel him stiffen from the contact. I've noticed that Koushirou is not a touchy-feely person. I also notice that everyone is silent, and very shocked.

            "A-any time, D-Daisuke," he stammers back, and breaks out of my hold. We continue on our merry way home, but there is a much more subdued air to any conversation started.

            We reach Matt's place first. Unsurprisingly, Tai goes with Matt, while I make catcalls behind them. Hey, someone's gotta keep them on their toes…and it does Tai some good working out by either holding Matt back or chasing me. 'Kari sighs, and T.Z. whacks me alongside the head. I'm amazed I don't get headaches more often. We continue and conversation is still dead. Finally T.L. asks Kou a question about science and conversation resumes.

            'It's times like this that I wish Miyako and I were fighting. At least then the tension would dissapate faster,' I think to myself. Unfortunately, Miayko had a date with Ken, which happened too rarely for them both.

            We reach Sora and Mimi's place next, and I wave along with the remaining four as they wander off, arguing about a brand of nail polish…or something like that. I wouldn't know. I don't wear any of that stuff.

            "Hey, Dai, Iori, Koushirou," T.A. says, grabbing 'Kari's hand. "we're going to head; see you guys later." They meander off, towards the park from the looks of it. Iori turns towards us.

            "And this is my street," he states, waving slightly. "See you both tomorrow." He walks away, leaving Kou and me, once again, very much alone.

            "A-ano, Kou?" I lay a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you earlier. It wasn't my intention." Kou sighs and shakes his head, hair shaking gently with the motion. I keep a firm reign on the desire to reach out and touch it. He turns and faces me, dark eyes boring into mine.

            "Don't worry about it, Daisuke—"

            "Dai," I interrupt. He gives me a strange look, and I find myself blushing and stammering out an explanation. "W-well, it's what my friends call me, and y-you're a friend, right?" He nods hesitantly, and I let out the breath I'd been holding.

            "Dai, can I ask you something as a friend then?" I give him the thumb's up sign and he give me a quick smile. "Why do you hide your intelligence from everyone…including Tai?"

            "Ken knows," I reply, trying to think of a topic to distract him. I see something flash through his eyes that makes me pause.

            'Was that jealousy? Nah, I'm just wishful seeing.'

            "Why does no one else know?" he persists.

            "You know!" I protest weakly. He glares at me. I sigh. "It doesn't matter, okay? Just leave it be." He shakes his head adamantly.

            "No, I want to know."

            "Oh, look, my apartment! Gotta go! Later, Kou!" I turn to run when Kou grabs one of my arms. I try to pull away, but his grip is surprisingly strong. I finally manage to twist free and stare at him. His demanding gaze meets my regretful one.

            "I can't tell you," I say, lowering my gaze. "I'm sorry, but I can't." He shakes his head.

            "Yes, you can." I back away, then turn to go towards my apartment.

            "Sayonara, Koushirou!" I begin to walk away.

            'You don't know how much I wish I _could_ tell you, Kou,' I think to myself as I begin to run. 'You don't know how much I wish.'

~~ooO@Ooo~~

Owari!! It should be a total of two/three more chapters…not including epilogue…not a whole lot longer, ne?

~Rosethorn~

Thank you's:

Neko-Chan: Thanks again!! Sorry about the long wait!!!!! *cries* I've been so bad… Hope this chappie was good too!

Anime-05: *glomp* THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Ok, now that I've done my glomping *wink* glad you like smart Dai…I hate fics that portray one character as being clueless…this does include Slayers fics with very clueless Gourry-s. Rambling is good…I only do that on days of the week ending in "ay" though…*wink*

Samanda Hime-sama: Thanks!! Yay! I kept them in character!! *does happy dances* I hope that this chappie was good as well!!

Nine: Thanks! Well…this doesn't help the whole Dai-secret thing, but it _will_ get resolved…eventually…I hope? *sweatdrops* Oh, yeah, I sound like I know what I'm doing…uh huh…

nEo-cHaN: Thanks again!! *laughs* You alternate every other review with being too lazy to sign in…but that's ok, 'cause you're cool anways!! I'm glad I'm doing a good job of keeping y'all on your toes…

Sillie: Thanks again! Yeah…then there's this one fic that I have all mapped out…including epilogue…and I'm blocked on how to write it…*sweatdrops* Anyways, I'm glad you like the ficcy so far!!

vialana: Thanks!! It's ok, about reviewing I mean…as long as people enjoy the fic, reviews are just icing on the cake. Yay!! Taito!!! Yes, Taito is fun to write…especially when Yama-chan and Tai-chan get into small arguments…then you get lots of fun having them try to fluster each other…I'm glad you like smart Dai too…I have always thought of him as smart…just incredibly energetic…hope that this was a bit more Daishirou, ne?

Babyshiro: Thanks! I'm continuing!! I'm continuing!! *gestures to the rope that Suoh tied around her waist to the computer desk* I can't go anywhere 'til I finish typing fics!!

shinigami: Thanks again!! Glad you like it so far! And don't worry about reviewing! I enjoy reviews, but it's not the focal point of the exercise…

Thanks again, y'all!! You guys are awesome!!

  


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[1] I have NO idea what to use for a question…this one seemed to be the best at the time. *sweatdrop*

[2] I've decided to keep up the gag of using the different last letter to T.K.'s initials whenever it's Dai's point of view, or whenever he's addressing T.K.


	9. Strain and Memories

**Notes:** Sorry for the delay! Call it supreme laziness…*sigh* Anyways, _italics_ mean flashbacks to Dai's memories, _before_ he met Tai, Izzy, and everyone. Beta-d by Anime05 and luna-sky!!! *glomps both her beta-ers* You guys _rock_!!!!!!!!

School Daze

Chapter 9: Strain and Memories

            "Class, this is Motomiya Daisuke. He has transferred from Osaka elementary[1]." The short, reddish-brown haired boy the teacher introduces bows.

_            "Douzo yoroshiku[2]," the boy says quietly. The teacher nods briskly._

_            "Motomiya-san, please take a seat next to Minohara-san. Minohara-san, please raise your hand." A blue-haired boy toward the back raises his hand lazily, and Daisuke carefully makes his way to the empty desk._

            "Welcome to Juuban[3]," Minohara whispers before going back to whatever it was he was doing before. Daisuke nods shyly, and pulls out some paper and pencils, before turning to the board to pay close attention to the teacher.

            A week passes since the confrontation between Koushirou and Daisuke, and their tentative friendship becomes visibly strained. As a result, the "fights" between Miyako and Daisuke take a more vicious turn, each walking away nursing battered feeling and egos, and barely containing their rage at each other. Daisuke's concentration in soccer falters, causing even Tai to lose patience and yell.

            "Where is your _brain_ lately, Dais?! I realize you aren't having the best week, but it needs to stay off my field! Honestly, you'd think you'd never played soccer before!"

_            "Come on, Motomiya-san! It's time for gym! We're playing soccer today!" Minohara drags the reluctant Daisuke towards the locker room._

_            "D-demo…I don't know _how_ to play soccer!" he protests._

_            "I'll teach you then! I'm the best soccer player here! Now come _on_!" After finally managing to get Daisuke _into_ the locker room, they get changed and head out to the field. Minohara grabs a soccer ball and starts dribbling it down the field, motioning for Daisuke to follow. After about five minutes of teaching him the basics, Minohara declared Daisuke "good for a beginner". Daisuke's eyes widen at the praise._

_            "All right, boys[4], get into your teams and start playing. Motomiya-san? You're on that team over there," the teacher says, pointing to the opposite team that Minohara was on. Daisuke gulps._

_            "H-hai," he replies and runs for the other team. One of the members walks up to him._

_            "Motomiya-san? You seem to be pretty fast…we'll put you as a forward for now." Daisuke's eyes grow wider._

_            "O-okay." The teacher blows the whistle and the game begins. Daisuke, who had only just learned, took to the striker position like he was born for it. He quickly dribbles down the field, passing it to teammates he sees open. He spots and opening for a goal and yells over to the boy next to him. Receiving the ball, he takes his shot and watches as it sails right past the goalie into the goal. His face breaks out into a wide grin—until he sees who the goalie is. Minohara, who does _not_ look happy._

_            "You little show-off twerp!" he hisses, as Daisuke runs back toward the center of the field to prepare for kick-off. "I'll get you for that."_

            Daisuke shakes his head to clear out the unwanted memory.

            "Gomen, Tai…I'll try harder to focus." Tai snorts.

            "Yeah, you'd better, or else you are _not_ starting tomorrow's game. You hear me?" Daisuke gives a large grin.

            "Loud and clear, captain!" Muttering under his breath about disrespectful soccer players, Tai motions the practice scrimmage to begin again. Unbeknownst to them, a red-haired figure sits on a grassy slope near the field watching. While Daisuke became more and more distracted, Koushirou hid in his computer, and let his grades slip slightly. He still could not understand why Daisuke refused to tell him what was wrong. He felt like Daisuke couldn't trust him, but the soccer player was always telling him otherwise. He glares at the computer screen in front of him, willing it to tell him the answers.

            As the month went on, all the rest of their friends watched anxiously, knowing that sooner or later something had to give.

            That something happens in the form of a chance meeting in the library, which Daisuke had gone to research a famous American person for an English assignment.

            School had just let out, and Daisuke's class had just taken a test. Daisuke, looking at the test while walking out of his class, fails to see Minohara and several others hanging outside the building.  

"Hey, look, everyone! The nerd got another 100%!" Minohara sneers, yanking the test out of Daisuke's grip. He was still angry about the soccer game, even though it happened a year past. He felt he had been humiliated.

_            "He probably only _gets_ the high grades because he sucks up to the teachers," another student drawls, one of Minohara's friends. Minohara gives a nasty smile._

_            "Well then…we'll just have to let him know what we think of suck-ups, won't we…" he says, cracking his knuckles. Ten minutes later, they become bored and leave Daisuke there…bleeding in the gravel._

_            "Doushite[5]?" he whispers, tears starting to come down his face. "Why is it a crime to be smart?" Making a decision then and there, he vows never to let anyone else know that he is smart. His grades slip to barely passing, but Minohara and his friends back off for a while. His parents however, become worried, but Daisuke refuses to say why he isn't using his "full potential". Jun, who had seen some of what was going on, decides to tell her parents. She then makes a brilliant suggestion of letting Daisuke learn karate in order to defend himself._

            "Maybe when he can fight back, he'll start letting himself shine again," was her reasoning. Her parents agree, and Daisuke begins karate lessons, and begins to feel more confident to do well again. He soon becomes top of the class.

            'Top of the class…yeah, but that was only until—Koushirou?!' To Daisuke's dismay, he spots Koushirou walking through the door. 'Ah hell…what's he doing here?! Doesn't he have a laptop that can use?' He looks around for a place to hide, but his body does not share his sentiment, as Daisuke finds himself walking _towards_ the redhead.

            "Hey, Kou! What brings you here?"

            'Oh yeah…_that_ sounded _real_ brilliant there, Dai. Way to go!' Daisuke's mental beration pauses as he sees the expressions of surprise, shock, dismay, hurt, sadness, and guilt play over Kou's face. He feels a stab of pain at the flashes of hurt and sadness.

            "Oh, hey, Dai. Ano…my laptop broke down actually, so I have to research the old-fashioned way." Kousirou stares down at his feet as Daisuke raises an eyebrow.

            "_Your_ laptop _crashed_?! _Your_ laptop?!" Koushirou winces. "Call me a skeptic, but this is your _computer_ we're talking about! You take better care of that thing than most parents care about their kids!" Koushirou's head snaps up, face grim.

            "Fine you want the truth? I wanted to talk to you, and your sister said you had come here. Come on," he orders, grabbing the younger teen's arm. "That report isn't due until next Thursday. You have enough time to walk with me—_and_ tell me why you've been avoiding me."

            "I haven't been avoiding you!" Daisuke protests as he is dragged out of the room.

            "Then my laptop really did crash," the other teen retorts over his shoulder. Daisuke opens his mouth to make a stinging reply, but closes it when none come to mind. They reach a small park next to the library. Daisuke yelps as he is propelled forward and narrowly avoids crashing into a sakura[6] tree.

            "Care to tell me what this is about?" he asks, glowering at the redhead.

            "I wanted to talk to you," Kousirou states simply. "And since you were avoiding me, I decided that my only other option was to ambush you." Daisuke crosses his arms in front of him.

            "Okay, I'm here. Talk." Koushirou sighs.

            "Ever since that other day, out friendship seems to be faltering and—"

            "Well, you shouldn't have tried to butt into my life like that." Daisuke cuts in.

            "Will you shut up and let me finish?!" the computer whiz snaps, causing Daisuke's eyes to widen. He nods wordlessly. "Good. Now, as I was saying, I realize I was being nosy, but please understand that I was also worried about you. I do worry about my friends." The redhead then gives a slow, small smile. "Besides, I'm of the curious sort, so any sort of mystery catches my interest." Daisuke's head comes up at that remark, and he gives a small smile of his own, before running a hand through his hair.

            "Okay, so I over-reacted. Nothing new there, ne?" Koushirou frowns, and the soccer player quickly raises placating hands. "I just usually speak without thinking is all." Koushirou decides to let that slide—for now.

            "In any rate," he begins tentatively. "are we still friends?" His answer is two arms full of Daisuke as the brunette hugs him tightly. Koushirou laughs.

            "I take that as a yes." Daisuke pulls away and nods, beaming. The two friends proceed to walk back to Koushirou's to do research for that English project on his _not_ broken laptop. The next school day comes, and the rest of their friends, seeing the tension gone, give a huge sigh of relief.

~~ooO@Ooo~~

OMG!!! It's almost done! *cries* I can't believe it!! You all have been so wonderful!! *cries more* One more chappie, then the epilogue…Stay tuned, ne? Oh, and were the flashbacks ok?

~Rosethorn~

Thank you's:

luna-sky: Thanks!! *glomp* And thanks again and again and again and—you get the idea *wink*—for beta-ing this fic!! Hope it keeps living up to your expectations, ne?

vialana: Thanks!! There's his secret! Poor Dai-chan…*sniff* So mean to him…*cries* Hope that I manage to keep the story going now that Dai's secret has been revealed…although only to the reader…*wink*

matt4ever: Thanks!! Here's another chappie…I think there's more Taito in the next chappie…not sure…*grabs her spiral*

Sanura-sama: Thanks!! YAY!!! Dai-chan doesn't like pity…and he's also a bit scared of Kou's reaction. I hope this was worth the wait!

Sillie: Thanks!! *giggles* Blushing Yama and Tai…hm…blushing Yama and Tai with blushing Dais and Kou…*shakes head to clear brain*

nEo-cHaN: Thanks!! (Do you know how hard it is to type that name? *laughs*) I noticed in the *cringes* dub…*ducks from flying objects* that he used a different letter every time…

babydragon: Thanks!! Glad my Taito lived up to expectations! *pulls out her Daiken banner too* I like Daiken! I like most any shounen ai pairing…well, with a few exceptions…*laugh*

  


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[1] Osaka was the best I could come up with. It's a big district though, if memory serves…

[2] Pleased to meet you/let's be kind to one another…Standard greeting when introducing yourself.

[3] Yet again, the best I could come up with…no shooting the authoress for a Sailor Moon mention!! Although…isn't it "Crossroads" in the dub…*shudders* Dubs…evil things…

[4] In Japan, boys and girls have gym separately.

[5] "Why"

[6] Cherry tree. Sakura is _not_ just from Cardcaptor Sakura (dub "Cardcaptors") *wink*


	10. The Object of My Affection & Epilogue

**Notes:** Eh…been a while, hasn't it? No inspiration lately, sorry to say. Well, no inspiration until a few days ago…let's just hope it stays in the right lines of the fic, ne? Please note: some of you will have seen the first part of this chapter. It's chapter 10. The epilogue was too short to be left on its own, so I doubled chapter 10 with it. Some of you however, will be seeing chapter 10 for the first time.

**Warnings:** Contains shounen ai/two guys making out. If I have to tell you that at _this_ point in the story…

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it.

School Daze  
By Rosethorn

Chapter 10: The Object of My Affection

I silently curse as I catch myself watching Daisuke _again_. I find myself doing that a lot lately. Even more than before that fight a few months ago…and although I still wonder what it is that has Daisuke so nervous about showing that he's intelligent, I know that he'll tell me whenever he sees fit. Besides, if he doesn't, then I'll go grill him about it again…maybe at his place this time…

'Methinks you have a crush,' I hear a voice say dryly in my head.

'I need to stop cramming for test; the sleep-deprivation has got me hearing things.' But I can't help but wonder if that voice, whatever it is, is correct. In fact, it would explain the staring, and the blushing any and every time he comes within a foot of me…

'Then there's the insane jealousy whenever he's palling around with Miyako, 'Kari, or Tai…Or whenever he mentions Ken?' Definitely need to stop those cramming sessions.

"—ekend?" I hear Dai ask, bringing my train of thought to an abrupt halt.

"Pardon?" I ask, blushing slightly.

'Brilliant, Koushirou! Bloody brilliant! That makes you sound like the genius you are! Uh huh!' That line of derision continues as Dai shoots me an exasperated look.

"I asked if you were interested in coming over this weekend," he repeats very slowly. I give him a dirty look, and he pulls an innocent one, to which I snort at. He fakes a hurt expression before shooting me a mock-glare, to which I roll my eyes and mutter something about "dramatic, cute, soccer players" (which he fortunately does _not_ hear). He stands and motions to the door of the classroom, as the last bell rings. I get up and follow him out, thankful that school is finally over for the week. Normally Daisuke and I would linger, waiting for the rest of our friends, but today he surprises me by linking his arm with mine and drags me out the entrance of the school quickly.

"Dai? What's the hurry?" To my further surprise, he turns a faint shade of red.

"A-ano…I-I need to talk to you without everyone else breathing down my neck." He finally decides that we are far enough ahead of everyone that he slows down, and releases my arm, which I rub, trying to regain the warmth of his arm again. We walk in silence for a few minutes longer, before I decide to try to find out what is troubling him.

"Ano, Dai? Would you like to come over to my place? Both of my parents should still be working, if you're worried about being overheard." He turns redder.

"S-sure, Koushirou…" "Koushirou"? It must be serious. He hasn't called me by my full name for a while now. It's always "Kou", although I'm tempted to tell him to call me "Izzy", so he'll have a special name…almost everyone else in our circle of friends has started calling me "Kou" thanks to Dai, but they'll _know_ better than to call me "Izzy".

We soon reach where my apartment is, and I unlock the door and enter, motioning for Dai to follow. Taking off our shoes, we wander to my bedroom, where we both unload our bags…well, I do anyways.

"Dai?" He looks even more nervous now, shifting from foot to foot, and eyeing the door, as if he's planning on turning tail and running away right there. "What is it, Dai?" I approach him slowly. He backs away, as though I mean to harm him. Suddenly, he stops backing away and squares his shoulders, a determined look on his face. I hear him mutter "I'm not a coward!", and I soon find a hand on my arm pulling me closer. Shortly after that, two lips meet my own. I stiffen in shock and he pulls away, looking at me with sadness and fear. I feel the effects of the withdrawal of his touch immediately, and I reach out my without thinking to recapture it. He shrinks away, as though afraid that I shall strike him, but I just rest my hand on his cheek, my fingertips lightly brushing his bangs. He leans into the touch.

"How long?" I ask softly, my eyes willing his to meet them.

"Almost right after I met you," he replies, still avoiding my gaze. I move my hand to the back of his neck, and propel his head towards mine. Just before our lips touch again, I whisper:

"Me too." Our lips meet, except with less hesitation. We draw nearer until my arms are around his neck, his around my waist. I allow him to deepen the kiss, but soon trivial matters (such as breathing), cause us to part.

"Aishiteru," we both state at the same time, then laugh at the slip. I thin let my eyes drown in his warm, brown ones as I state:

"I do, you know; love you." He smiles shyly and nods.

"And I you." I feel my face break into a wide grin as our lips meet again.

'With all my heart, I love you.'

oOOo()oOOo

Epilogue: A Reflection

I wince as 'Kari squeals for what must have been the 50th time today. Glancing over to Kou, I can see that he's doing the same. Honestly! What _is_ it with girls and finding out that two of their male friends are going out? It's creepy! I mean, it's like they all get highs off it or something! I shudder at the thought. My boyfriend—I can call him that now, my boyfriend—glances over, coal eyes showing a bit of concern. He drapes his arm over one of my shoulders, pulling me close.

"Are you okay?" he whispers, causing not only 'Kari, but the _rest_ of the girls at our table to squeal. Ugh. Gag me with a _spoon_, man! Girls. I'm glad I have Kou. At least I have a chance of _understanding_ him! I turn my head slightly to face him.

"Nothing I can't handle, love," I find myself whispering back. He gives me that lop-sided grin that I absolutely _love_ and lets his arm drop, only to have both arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. If anyone had told me that Kou was a cuddling type, I would have asked them to seek counseling—immediately. I mean, he normally exudes this aura of "Personal Space. Do Not Cross." around him, and yes, it _definitely_ uses those capital letters to describe it. But here he is, Mr. Snuggles himself. Not that I mind! It's nice to feel that kind of love and warmth. One downside is that he always manages to make me sleepy when he does this. I realize that it sounds like a strange downside, but it makes me uncomfortable if I'm in a public setting. I mean, what if something happens and I'm too groggy to do something about—excuse me, yawn moment—about it.

Take the last time we were at the park for example! We were beneath one of those cherry trees (working on a chemistry paper no less), Kou working on his laptop while I dictated from the textbook. Doesn't sound cozy? Well, the laptop _was_ resting on my knees, and let me tell you that he makes a _really_ good pillow. In any rate, I had somehow dropped off in the middle of dictating. The next thing I knew was when I was soaking wet, and being roughly pushed away. I looked up, blinking sleepily in time to see two kids running down the street, yelling rather derogatory words at the two of us. I turned to see Kou kneeling over a black something that was making weird sounds. Turns out that the thing making weird sounds was his laptop—not his "baby", but still, a really nice laptop. He had pushed me off him when he saw the thing sparking, so as to make sure I didn't get hurt by it. So yeah, I'm a bit edgy about all this still. I mean, I'm _used_ to negative attention, but Kou? He's so shy…He's never dated a _girl_, much less done the strange thing and dated a _guy_!

Uh oh. I hear more squealing. I glance up in time to see Taichi and Yamato heading towards us. Ah. That would explain it. Two _more_ guys dating each other. I give them both a sympathetic look, though most of the sympathy is directed at Tai. Yamato is used to all the squealing and screaming and all that fun stuff from being a big rock star. Tai is used to some followers, true (being the soccer captain and all), but he's not exactly used to the squealing. Particularly from his sister.

"So how was Ido-sensei?" I ask them, getting a grin on my face from the loud groan Tai makes, and the exasperated expression that finds its way onto Yamato's face. "That good, eh?" I feel a vibration through my body as Kou begins laughing softly. Though I join in as—in almost unison—everyone drops their plates, forks, chopsticks, etc. to stare at the two of us. Honestly! You'd think Kou'd never laughed before—wait. He never has laughed in front of them. I lean back slightly.

"I think you're scaring them now, Kou…" I whisper, grinning. He winks at me and nods.

"I do believe I am," he agrees, before looking up at the rest of the table. I follow his gaze. 'Kari and T.G. both start eating again, the shock factor maxed after I announced our "couple status". Tai and Yamato both look at each other and shrug before Tai fishes out his lunch and insists that Yamato share it. Miyako is just staring at us, mouth open. I think she shorted something in there.

"You're catching flies," 'Kari says, closing Miyako's mouth with a finger, giggling. Miyako shakes her for a few more seconds before sighing and removing her glasses to clean them. She only does that when she's agitated about something.

"Problem, Miya?" I ask with, I will admit, a bit of testiness. When agitated, she tends to search out a target—me. She pauses, focusing on the general direction of my voice—the girl's legally blind without those glasses.

"Just trying to understand, Dai," she replies, a frown appearing on her forehead. "Tai and Yamato I understand. One, they've known each other forever, and two, they're similar enough to be able to carry on long conversations, but different enough to not bore each other." She puts on her glasses again, resuming her penetrating stare. "But you and Kou?" I feel my boyfriend stiffen slightly behind me, so I put one hand on top of his joined two and squeeze gently, letting him know everything is fine.

"I realize that we may seem different, Miya, but we're happy together. Do you have a problem with that?" I ask calmly. She gives me a bright smile, and it is then that I know she'll be behind us 130, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Not at all, Dai!" she says brightly. "Just trying to figure out what Kou sees in you is all!" she adds, winking and sticking her tongue out at me. I grin back before protesting with mock-indignation. Yes, everything is going to be fine. Leaning back against Kou once again, I tilt my head up to look at him.

"I love you," I whisper. He gives me a soft smile in response.

"I love you too."

oOOo()oOOo

Owari. That's it, folks!! I am trying to get out a sequel. I _hope_ to have the first chapter out sometime in November, but with a lot of personal shit going on…it may be a bit. Thank you, each and every reviewer/emailer/reader for taking the time to read this fanfic. You guys/girls/digimon/whatever are my world! I hope y'all keep reading and writing. Remember! This is the _first_ story I've ever finished. It will not be, by far, the _last_. ::wink::

Love always

Rosethorn

**Thank you's:**

**Vialana:** Thanks! I'm sorry about not putting in Koushirou finding out…It _should_ happen in the sequel, which is in the works! I'm glad you liked all of the fic!! This thing's kinda been my baby, 'cause it's the first one that I've ever been _close_ to finishing…

**Sillie:** Thanks!! Sorry with not following the "soon" part, but I did continue and finish!!

**Nine1:** Thanks! They're good friends…and more ::wink:: Cookie? COOOKIIIEEEE!!!!!!!!!! ::bounces::  
(Dai: Now you've done it. You've gotten her on a sugar high…::sighs and runs after Rosethorn::)

**nEo-cHaN:** Thanks!! I love his laptop…or rather, I love his obsessive-compulsive behaviour _regarding_ said laptop. ::laughs:: Speaking of more soon ::pokes back:: I haven't seen new stuff sent to _me_.

**Babyshiro:** Thanks! Well…eh heh…They all find out in the sequel. Needed something to continue with ::laughs nervously::

**SelenaWheeler:** Thanks!! Oh damn…fire engine time. Thanks for the compliment, really. Now I'm gonna go find some ice cubes to cool down my face.

**VtE:** Thanks! Hope this satisfies the eager await of what happens next…

**Blank:** Thanks!! I'm glad you like it! Um…I think there was Taito in chapter 10…::glances up:: Hm…guess not. I'll try to focus more on Taito in the sequel as well.

**Midnight Fairy:** Thanks! YIPES!!! It's updated and finished! It's updated and finished!!

**Samanda Hime-sama:** Thanks!! Yay!! Daishiro!!! They don't write enough Daishiro ::sniffle::

**Catgirl Rahen:** Thanks! Um…I can see I was a bit behind on the "soon" part…::laughs nervously:: But I came back with a finish!!

**Fae Quill:** Thanks!! I did the fluffy thang, ne? I like fluff. I don't like mega-angst.


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